For Us KC Area Guys - Fishing Reports

[doughboy1979]

They also have some rods/reels there on consignment.  But all around those guys there were really nice to me and took their time explaining some things to me that I had questions about.  

[starkeer]

I am going to be moving from Minnesota to Utah towards the end of October and am thinking about taking a much more southern route that would take me through the KC area to spend a few days fishing. I will have my Kayak with me. I am looking for any tips or areas to pay attention to that could help me out. Also, what is the fishing like towards the end of October? Not sure if or even when you guys season winds down down there. Any help would be appreciated.

 

Thanks!

[Russ E]

2 hours ago, starkeer said:

I am going to be moving from Minnesota to Utah towards the end of October and am thinking about taking a much more southern route that would take me through the KC area to spend a few days fishing. I will have my Kayak with me. I am looking for any tips or areas to pay attention to that could help me out. Also, what is the fishing like towards the end of October? Not sure if or even when you guys season winds down down there. Any help would be appreciated.

 

Thanks!

End of October is usually prime time fall fishing. Last week a lot of lakes were still above 70 degrees.

Last few days have been colder, so the lakes should be cooling down considerably.  Smaller lakes near Kansas City that can be good in fall on the Kansas side, are Olathe, Cedar lake, and Wyandotte (you have to buy a county permit on this lake). 

Probably one of the best fall lakes is Shawnee over in Topeka.

there are also a lot of small productive lakes southwest of Kansas City.

 

If you want a chance at a trophy, La Cygne is an hour south of Kansas City. It probably has the best chance for a big fish in eastern Kansas. it is also a good place to get skunked. it can also get a little rough for a kayak in the Kansas wind.

[starkeer]

38 minutes ago, Russ E said:

End of October is usually prime time fall fishing. Last week a lot of lakes were still above 70 degrees.

Last few days have been colder, so the lakes should be cooling down considerably.  Smaller lakes near Kansas City that can be good in fall on the Kansas side, are Olathe, Cedar lake, and Wyandotte (you have to buy a county permit on this lake). 

Probably one of the best fall lakes is Shawnee over in Topeka.

there are also a lot of small productive lakes southwest of Kansas City.

 

If you want a chance at a trophy, La Cygne is an hour south of Kansas City. It probably has the best chance for a big fish in eastern Kansas. it is also a good place to get skunked. it can also get a little rough for a kayak in the Kansas wind.

Thank you! This is exactly what I was looking for, Shawnee was definitely on my list of lakes to check out. 

[Russ E]

1 hour ago, starkeer said:

Thank you! This is exactly what I was looking for, Shawnee was definitely on my list of lakes to check out. 

if you time it right Shawnee has big Smallies. sometimes finding them can be tough

[Bluebasser86]

2 hours ago, starkeer said:

I am going to be moving from Minnesota to Utah towards the end of October and am thinking about taking a much more southern route that would take me through the KC area to spend a few days fishing. I will have my Kayak with me. I am looking for any tips or areas to pay attention to that could help me out. Also, what is the fishing like towards the end of October? Not sure if or even when you guys season winds down down there. Any help would be appreciated.

 

Thanks!

All good suggestions above. Another I would add to the list is Shawnee State Lake north of Silver Lake a few miles. Also a smaller lake with a lower density but good average size. Last time I went there in late October I was there for 4 hours and had a limit over 20 pounds all on a black and blue bladed jig and sapphire blue brush jig. 

[Sprocket]

Wow, your moving from a land of 10,000 lakes to a land of 3 lakes.  Good luck!

 

SE Kansas grass grower

[JBurn244]

Hey guys, Liberty area bank-bound newbie here. I have enjoyed reading this thread and thought I'd hop on and ping you guys on James A. Reed as it looks like it hasn't been brought up in a while, and I haven't been able to find much on what the pattern is like out there for this time of year. Noticed that the MDC reports on their site stop at the end of September.

 

From all the reading I've done (searching for 'James A Reed' here), sounds like it's hit or miss for many people. Seems like the name of the game is target the cover and stay away from the parking lots/docks. Planning to try Catclaws, Cottontail first.

 

Anybody gotten any action down there within the last week or so? Are any of the lakes on the southern end a little more 'off the beaten path' and maybe get a little less pressured? Figured on taking the full compliment of 'fall baits' when heading out there this Saturday morning.

 

Cheers guys--

Jeff

[Lincoln]

I went to lake Shawnee again today and it was a pretty tough day. I only caught one largemouth and maybe a half dozen white bass. Just a heads up to everyone they have the signs up now that the lake will be closed the 27th-3rd for the trout stocking. 

[Bluebasser86]

8 hours ago, Lincoln said:

I went to lake Shawnee again today and it was a pretty tough day. I only caught one largemouth and maybe a half dozen white bass. Just a heads up to everyone they have the signs up now that the lake will be closed the 27th-3rd for the trout stocking. 

We had day one of our 2 day end of the year fish off at Shawnee Saturday. We had first place with 11.12 pounds, second was 6.63, everyone else was under 4 pounds, it was tough. We caught quite a few but couldn't get a bigger bite. All of our fish were in the very backs of the coves in really shallow water around grass where there was shad. We could have caught white bass until we were tired of catching them too. 

[Lincoln]

6 hours ago, Bluebasser86 said:

We had day one of our 2 day end of the year fish off at Shawnee Saturday. We had first place with 11.12 pounds, second was 6.63, everyone else was under 4 pounds, it was tough. We caught quite a few but couldn't get a bigger bite. All of our fish were in the very backs of the coves in really shallow water around grass where there was shad. We could have caught white bass until we were tired of catching them too. 

It makes me feel a little better to know that it isn’t just me! Since the lake is closing Saturday it will probably be two weeks until I make it there again and hopefully it is better then. Now I just need to figure out where to go next Tuesday. 

[gardnerjigman]

9 hours ago, Bluebasser86 said:

 We could have caught white bass until we were tired of catching them too. 

pshhh... after Friday smoking whites and their much larger cousins and then the ones at Shawnee on Saturday I was tired of them. Peroxide went nuts on my right hand both nights. lol 

[Russ E]

9 hours ago, Bluebasser86 said:

18 hours ago, Lincoln said:

I went to lake Shawnee again today and it was a pretty tough day. I only caught one largemouth and maybe a half dozen white bass. Just a heads up to everyone they have the signs up now that the lake will be closed the 27th-3rd for the trout stocking. 

We had day one of our 2 day end of the year fish off at Shawnee Saturday. We had first place with 11.12 pounds, second was 6.63, everyone else was under 4 pounds, it was tough. We caught quite a few but couldn't get a bigger bite. All of our fish were in the very backs of the coves in really shallow water around grass where there was shad. We could have caught white bass until we were tired of catching them too. 

I was at Shawnee last Friday. caught 8  largemouth back in the south end of the lake. Only one was over 18 inches. didn't get much action on the north side. could not find any smallmouth. white bass and drum were biting everywhere.

I have heard they stock wipers at Shawnee, but have never caught one there.

[Lincoln]

I haven’t caught one either but I talked to a guy who was fly fishing by the west boat ramp and he said he’d caught a few decent wipers that day 

[Bluebasser86]

25 minutes ago, Lincoln said:

I haven’t caught one either but I talked to a guy who was fly fishing by the west boat ramp and he said he’d caught a few decent wipers that day 

I've talked to several people who claim to have caught them. I've caught some very large white bass there. I have a feeling that they probably are catching whites and don't know the difference. 

[doughboy1979]

I'll finally be back fishing the weekend, thank goodness!  Man, it's been 3 weeks since I've fished, and it feels like I missed a whole year!! 

Saturday I'll take my young kiddo's out to either Gardner Lake or Olathe Lake as I know there is a good chance they can even catch a bass by accident right now, lol!!! Sunday I will be going with friends to Lone Star Lake - Douglas County, to give that a try.  Was at Mondo Tackle last week and the guy there said I NEED to get out there now as the bass are biting out there.  I'll let everyone know how it goes this weekend.  

 

 

[Lincoln]

4 hours ago, Bluebasser86 said:

I've talked to several people who claim to have caught them. I've caught some very large white bass there. I have a feeling that they probably are catching whites and don't know the difference. 

I have to agree about the white bass. Every one I caught yesterday was twice as big as the ones I seem to find at Perry. And I got my white bass pb there last winter on a jerkbait 

[Shawk63]

Wow, it was a perfect day to be kayak fishing. Went to Leavenworth County Lake and caught so many I lost count. Water is still really low but there was a lot of boats out today. Didn’t catch any large ones but I had a blast.

 

 

[Bluebasser86]

If anyone has been thinking of going to Wolf Creek, don't, it's pretty terrible right now. Their weekly report for last week had 58 boats on the water and something like 105 smallmouth and 20 largemouth total? I didn't do much to increase their numbers either. Even white bass were hard to find. Catfish are biting great if you want to go through the hassle of getting on the water out there to catch catfish.

 

La Cygne was pretty good but all smaller fish and shad are super thick. Only one over 18" on a Shine Glide early in the day. I was hoping they'd eat it all day but that was my only bite on a swimbait. Whites and wipers were biting really good though. They must have stocked a bunch of wipers recently because I was catching a bunch of 2lb wipers. 

[Russ E]

19 hours ago, Bluebasser86 said:

If anyone has been thinking of going to Wolf Creek, don't, it's pretty terrible right now. Their weekly report for last week had 58 boats on the water and something like 105 smallmouth and 20 largemouth total? I didn't do much to increase their numbers either. Even white bass were hard to find. Catfish are biting great if you want to go through the hassle of getting on the water out there to catch catfish.

 

La Cygne was pretty good but all smaller fish and shad are super thick. Only one over 18" on a Shine Glide early in the day. I was hoping they'd eat it all day but that was my only bite on a swimbait. Whites and wipers were biting really good though. They must have stocked a bunch of wipers recently because I was catching a bunch of 2lb wipers. 

I was at La Cygne today. Fished a bladed jig, a jerkbait and a squarebill. Caught several small bass, a couple catfish, and several white bass. Could not get any big fish to bite. Like you mentioned it is loaded with shad.

[doughboy1979]

Went to Lone Star Lake last Sunday.   It was a new lake for us, so we don't know where all of the "hot spots" are.  Fished there for about 5.5 hours and we caught about 20 bass.  Only two were keepers, but they were about 2.5-3.5 lbs.  All the rest were about a foot long.  Square bill crank baits worked the best for us, but we also caught a few on some Mepps black fury and on some jigs.  Will surely go back there before I'm done for the season.  

[KansasBassin]

On 10/24/2018 at 3:28 PM, doughboy1979 said:

I'll finally be back fishing the weekend, thank goodness!  Man, it's been 3 weeks since I've fished, and it feels like I missed a whole year!! 

Saturday I'll take my young kiddo's out to either Gardner Lake or Olathe Lake as I know there is a good chance they can even catch a bass by accident right now, lol!!! Sunday I will be going with friends to Lone Star Lake - Douglas County, to give that a try.  Was at Mondo Tackle last week and the guy there said I NEED to get out there now as the bass are biting out there.  I'll let everyone know how it goes this weekend.  

 

 

Did you go to Douglas County State Lake or Lonestar? Report? Was thinking of going that way this weekend.

Caught this one last week at a private lake community called Tanglewood on a shakey head.  

 

On 10/30/2018 at 3:29 PM, doughboy1979 said:

Went to Lone Star Lake last Sunday.   It was a new lake for us, so we don't know where all of the "hot spots" are.  Fished there for about 5.5 hours and we caught about 20 bass.  Only two were keepers, but they were about 2.5-3.5 lbs.  All the rest were about a foot long.  Square bill crank baits worked the best for us, but we also caught a few on some Mepps black fury and on some jigs.  Will surely go back there before I'm done for the season.  

Missed this post when I quoted you before...I have never been to Lonestar, might try that out. Been to Douglas County a few times this summer and really like it... 

[doughboy1979]

2 hours ago, KansasBassin said:

Did you go to Douglas County State Lake or Lonestar? Report? Was thinking of going that way this weekend.

Caught this one last week at a private lake community called Tanglewood on a shakey head.  

 

Missed this post when I quoted you before...I have never been to Lonestar, might try that out. Been to Douglas County a few times this summer and really like it... 

Lol, no problem.  I really liked that lake.  It's got some good structures in the 2 large coves on the south side of the lake.  The 2 or 3 larger bass we caught were by the docks using flicker shad and squarebill cranks. We are for sure going back there again hopefully in the next couple of weeks.  Good luck if you go there!!! 

 

[SuperFluke]

@Bluebasser86 and I hit the two Pleasanton lakes yesterday.  The east lake was pretty good to us for numbers.  We had at least 20 on a variety of baits including wobblers, jerkbaits, spinnerbaits, rodents, a senko, and I think Clayton had one on a trap.  No size, so we packed it up and went to the smaller west lake.  The water was green and nasty looking but we gave it a go. Did a quick lap where I was skunked.  Shocker...the global moderator was not skunked and stuck a nice one on a jig off a catfish feeder.

[Russ E]

Does anyone know if Shawnee lake is open. I heard it temporarily closed to let the trout Acclimate